It's Not Such a Terrible Life
by Izzychase
Summary: This is an AU series based on SPN episode 4x17, which introduces Dean Smith, who is very different from Dean Winchester and explores the different stages of his life. Dean/Rachel AU
1. Vignette 1: Santa Monica

Title: The "It's Not Such a Terrible Life" series (title is still TBD)

Author: Izzychase

Disclaimer: I do not own Dean or Rachel, in any universe. Dean is a creation of Eric Kripke, and Mark Schwann owns Rachel. I don't own anything, so please do not come and file litigations.

Reviews: Are always welcome and make me a happy writer!

Introduction**: **This "It's not such a terrible life" series explores an AU version of Dean and Rachel, based on SPN ep. 4x17 "It's a Terrible Life" where Dean has an alternate life as a corporate sales and marketing executive. I decide to expand on the adventures of this AU version of Dean, and for good measure, added in an AU version of Rachel as well. This series is not designed with a linear story plot progression in mind, although all the stories relate to one another and take place at different times in Dean and Rachel's life. Each vignette is drawn from inspiration by a city in the United States with its own unique characteristics and flavour, and the possible interactions between the two characters at each place and time.

"_It's Not Such a Terrible Life"_:

_Vignette 1: Santa Monica _

The first time Dean lets himself into the condo in Santa Monica that he's been looking at for the past few months online and talking to the realtor, a funny feeling that makes him feel like there are butterflies in his stomach lasts for about ten seconds, and Dean's reminded of the time again in Stanford when he was anxiously scanning the lists of posted internships for the summer, hoping that he gets the placement that he's always wanted with Sandover instead of being trapped in some tax firm hovel, and then it's gone, replaced with an excited apprehension about the future, and more importantly, about a future with Rachel.

He walks around the empty condo with a sense of awe; takes in floor to ceiling windows looking out over the ocean, the high ceiling that suddenly appears when he walks from the front entrance hallway to the combined living room and dining area, the door that slides out to a beckoning patio, the spacious kitchen, the den tucked into a separate room where he can set up his home office, and feeling the hardwood floor beneath his feet as gentle and warm before making the climb up the stairs that curve in a half spiral to the upper floor of the loft to the large space that will eventually be their bedroom with its ensuite bathroom off to the side. His breath catches as he sees how the space has a skylight and how the afternoon light dances around the room. This condo has everything that they could both want and they've been talking about Santa Monica or Bel Air as possible places to start looking for a place to move in together.

He's kept this loft as a surprise from Rachel, even though he normally tells her everything. He wants this to be a surprise. They've gone to see crowded shoeboxes of condos in L.A. together, single floor condos in Bel Air that are probably overpriced, and even townhouses in the Pacific Palisades, but Dean's saved this one for last.

"What do you think?" The voice of the realtor, an expensively dressed woman in her early fifties who only goes by Chase gently breaks into his train of thought. She's standing at the doorway, subtle and experienced, letting him take the lead in looking at the condo instead of aggressively trying to market it to him.

"You think you can arrange a viewing where my girlfriend and I can come together tomorrow morning?" He asks in return. He knows that condos like this in Santa Monica won't be on the market for that long, but he's savvy enough and he's worked in sales and marketing long enough to know that if Rachel loves it, he's ready to put in an offer.

Chase studies him for a moment, and nods. "Of course- is 10am all right?"

"It's great- thank you."

*

"Dean, where are we going?" Rachel asks him the next morning as they're driving in his Lexus. He knows that he appears to fit the stereotype of a yuppie, but it hasn't always been this way. As hard as it was to believe, he did once play football growing up in Sherman Oaks and had wanted to study as a physiotherapist before he discovered that marketing was his passion, and Rachel knows that he isn't a stereotypical corporate douchebag. Her ability to see past his corporate persona is one of the reasons that he loves her so much.

"It's a surprise, babe," is the only answer he gives in return. Rachel squeezes his hand and in between the traffic lights on the way to Santa Monica, he admires how beautiful she is with her long, red hair, sparkling brown eyes, and delicate curves and shapely long legs in her sundress. They can drive in silence and thank goodness Rachel isn't one of those women who need to be constantly talking or chattering; she's composed and mature, subtle and classy just like the way she dresses.

They walk up to the new condo building together, hand-in-hand with fingers intertwined, once he's parked, and Rachel's eyes light up when she sees the view of the gently sloping hill and the ocean in the background.

"Wait until you see the inside," Dean promises as he gently leads her up to the front steps of the condo building. They shake hands with Chase, take the elevator up to the flat, and Chase patiently waits outside the door while Dean asks Rachel to close her eyes. He sees Chase's slightly amused look behind her well-bred demeanour, but Rachel closes her eyes, and lets Dean take her hand while his other one gently opens the door and leads them both in. As soon as Dean closes the door behind them, he wraps his arms around Rachel's waist and nuzzles her neck.

"You can open your eyes now." He whispers gently.

"Oh my god," are the first words that come out of Rachel's mouth as she looks around the condo in awe, staying ensconced in his arms as she takes in the view of the entire condo. He takes her hand and they walk through the condo, as they mix and jumble up their sentences in hushed excitement.

"We can have a guest room downstairs in here,"

"Look at this view, Dean! You can see the ocean and the city from these windows,"

"Babe, we can set up an office in this den,"

"Dean, I love the floors and I love the dark wood cabinets of the kitchen..."

"There's a full bath on the first floor,"

"We can put our deck chaises and chairs and table on the patio,"

"Wait until you see the second floor," Dean promises and they walk up the stairs together, and Rachel's breath catches as she walks into the large space and looks around. Dean thinks she can't look any more beautiful than she does in that moment, standing underneath the skylight as the morning light illuminates her pretty face and features, looking in wonder at that space around them. And then it hits him; this space is going to be _theirs_, it's going to mean that they'll be sharing their entire day together every day instead of just seeing each other on dates and sleeping together on the weekends.

"I love you," The words come rushing out of Rachel's mouth and a split second later she's in his arms and they're sharing a soft and gentle kiss that she initiates.

"I love you too," He replies before asking her, "So do you like the place?"

"Yes," Rachel says with certainty.

"Good," Dean replies, putting his hands back on her waist again, "Because this is going to mean that this place will be half yours, and half mine. I was thinking of making an offer today..."

"Yes, I want to do this," Rachel agrees, her breath slightly hitched from the excitement. "I want this; I want us."

"I want us too." He nods, kissing the fingers on her hand gently. "I'm sick of not being able to wake up with you on weekdays. You've practically moved half of your clothes and shoes into my closet. We spend all of our weekends together,"

"I love being with you. I like the way we go jogging together, the drives along the coast, the shopping and cooking and long lunches and cuddling up on my patio afterwards."

"I've enough money saved for a down payment but also wanted to know if you wanted to contribute half so that it's ours. I've been thinking about this since we visited your folks last Christmas."

"Really?"

"Yes." Dean was completely serious. "This is the first time I've ever wanted to move in with a girlfriend. We can rent out our old apartments for money, each pay half of the down payment, and this is us moving in together and taking the next step."

"Even buying a love nest in Santa Monica?" Rachel's brown eyes twinkle at him even as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"Even buying a love nest in Santa Monica," Dean's completely serious, and then he decides to lighten the mood up with some humour, "But you've got to promise me that you won't tell anyone at Sandover. I've got my reputation to maintain."

Rachel chuckles and leans in to give him a kiss. "Well, Dean Smith, you're lucky that I've always wanted to live in Santa Monica ever since I moved to California."

"So, it's all about the condo and Santa Monica, and not me," Dean jokes.

"You're a pretty great bonus, though." Rachel teases.

Dean laughs at that, and he wraps his arms tighter around Rachel's waist before initiating a passionate kiss that she reciprocates. Chase can wait for a few more minutes downstairs. Right now he's got Rachel in his arms and she's everything he's ever wanted in a woman and in a mate. The butterflies that were in his stomach yesterday are replaced just by the quiet excitement that Santa Monica is just the beginning of the next stage of their life.

End

_Author's Notes: _Please do let me know what you think :-)


	2. Vignettte 2: Aspen

Title: It's Not Such a Terrible Life Series- Vignette 2 "Aspen"

Author: Izzychase

Rating: T

"_It's Not Such a Terrible Life"_: Vignettes

_Vignette 2: Aspen _

Dean wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling her neck awoke Rachel early in the morning. Without even opening her eyes, she laced her arms around him and dragged him down for a kiss.

"G'morning," Dean murmured as their kiss ended, his slight stubble tickling her face and his emerald eyes with their long lashes gazing into her own.

"Good morning," Rachel responded. He rolled off her to get more comfortable and pulled her against him. "What time is it?"

"A little after seven." He replied with a yawn.

"Another hour. And then we can hit the slopes." She groaned and turned over. She never woke up that early on a day off when she was in the city, but she was willing to accompany Dean on only their third ski trip as a couple since he discovered how much he loved skiing. Growing up in North Carolina, the Harrises went skiing up in the Appalachians every other year, but Dean was a California boy who had discovered how much he loved the winter sport and now he booked a ski trip for them every season.

"Aww, c'mon, Rach." Dean begged in a slight whine, his hand rubbing slow circles on her back. "There'll be no line-ups at the lifts if we get up and get ready now."

"Oh, all right," Rachel agreed reluctantly, getting up slowly and sitting on her edge of the bed.

"Love you, babe," Dean grinned and dropped a kiss on her shoulder.

"Only if you promise to give me a back rub later," Rachel called out flirtatiously in return, walking into the bathroom. She loved Dean and would get up early to go skiing with him without the extra incentives anyways, but she liked to occasionally try to pretend that she was trading favours for doing things for him, mainly because she still couldn't believe how head over heels she was for him and she still tried to maintain some level of composure, telling herself that she didn't really need him when in reality, she did.

An hour later, both Rachel and Dean were appropriately dressed and ready to go,

"C'mon, Rachel, actual snow calls." Dean grinned. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head, opened the chalet door like a real gentleman, and the two stepped out onto the winter landscape.

*

It had been a wonderful day on the slopes- the snow was crisp and powdery, the mountain air crisp and cold, the line-ups for the ski lifts hadn't been too long, and Rachel had really enjoyed the exercise. She and Dean had gotten the chance to go on some of the runs they've both wanted to try out, and in the late afternoon, finished off with some of the easier runs. Rachel had thrown a snowball at him when they had put their ski equipment away, and before she knew it, Dean had tackled her to the ground and after a few moments of half-hearted struggling underneath him, Rachel had given in and the two of them ended up kissing while sprawled on the ground.

Rachel smiled at the memory and took another sip from the glass of Sauvignon she brought out with her to the hot tub. The door opened and Dean walked out, dressed only in a bathrobe over his swimming trunks. His emerald green eyes lit up when he saw her in the hot tub. Rachel suddenly felt a bit shy. They had been together for two and a half years and she still had flutters in her heart when Dean looked at her like she was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to him. She saw him look her up and down and Rachel was glad that she had decided to go with the pretty black bikini that set off the red of her hair, despite how impractical it was to wear a bikini in Aspen in winter. She watched as he shrugged off the bathrobe, revealing a strong pair of shoulders and muscular arms with a sculpted chest and then he joined her in the hot water, slowly making his way over to her. She let him initiate a long, lazy kiss that she felt all the way to her toes, and she hoped that it would always be like this.

"I haven't had this much fun in so long," Dean murmured, his hands tangling themselves in her long hair and gently punctuating his words with soft kisses against her neck, cheek, and against her lips. "I love weekends away here with you and it felt amazing to be in the mountains today,"

"No cell phones, no clients, no phone calls, and no emails, right? Just the mountains, and the skiing, and being together..." Rachel lightly responded, pulling him closer to her. She always loved the way his body, long, lean, lightly freckled but muscled felt against hers and she held onto him, letting the warmth of the hot tub and the warmth of him contrast against the chill of the night air.

"Just us, and the mountains," Dean agreed. He let go of her briefly to perch on one of the benches built into the hot tub and then pulled her closer to him, Rachel automatically wrapping her arms around his neck as they settled comfortably, Rachel half floating in the water and half in Dean's arms, feeling content and at peace. She liked how they could just stay in silence and enjoy each other's company and enjoy the stillness. L.A. was always busy and chaotic, full of high maintenance models, egotistical designers, irritated and angry drivers, and was generally a city that always moved too fast and never slept, but Rachel had managed to find Dean in the midst of all of it. She felt that even in L.A., hers and Dean's relationship was generally seen as superficial; he was a corporate star and she was a pretty ex-model who now worked in a modelling agency, but she knew that what they had wasn't just an LA relationship and that it was real. She knew that underneath the hard exterior Dean had set up as part of his corporate persona there was a soft and kind side of Dean; the side that was a great and thoughtful boyfriend who would buy her play tickets for her birthday and who would show up when she was sick with copies of Elle and the New Yorker and who would be happy to give her back rubs and foot rubs whenever she asked for them. It was hard to imagine that this was the same guy who would bark out orders on his Bluetooth about spreadsheets and client retention rates and wore his pinstripe power suit every day to work.

"What're you thinking about, babe?" Dean asked her, pulling her even closer to him so that they were practically touching, his emerald eyes searching her own.

"How real this is. How hectic L.A. is and how nice it is to be away. I love how anonymous I could be here and how I can unwind and be myself and how happy you are when you're here." Rachel responded, running her hands lightly down his well sculpted chest and abs. She definitely noticed a change of behaviour in Dean the further they got away from L.A.- how he would joke more and look more relaxed; how he would get boyishly enthusiastic over things like snowball fights and skiing; how he laughed and flirted with her more; how he was more willing to talk about his feelings; and when they were intimate and in bed together, how gentle he was and how much time he took to pleasure her and to make it romantic. It wasn't that he wasn't any of those things in L.A., but he wasn't as relaxed and these things didn't come as naturally to him. She loved how ambitious he was and how driven he was; but she also loved boyish Dean who let down his guard and walls.

"Yeah, me too," Dean said simply. "Why do you think I insist that we come here every year?" His green eyes twinkled at hers.

"It's just the skiing because you're a California boy," Rachel joked. "And I think you enjoy making me get up early to make me miserable."

Dean laughed.

"Babe, I totally make up for it by bringing you coffee in bed on Sunday mornings along with your Elle subscription anyways when we're in LA."

That part was true. Dean always liked to get up early even on Sundays to read the Wall Street Journal and do chores, while Rachel refused to get out of bed before 9am, unless it was for Easter Sunday or Christmas service. He smirked a bit at the pout on her face, and leaned in to give her another kiss. Rachel deepened it and made it more passionate, climbing into his lap and getting as close to him as much as possible. When they finally broke apart, both were breathing heavily and they leaned their foreheads against each other.

"You know why I love coming here? It was the time we went hiking up in Oregon on Mount Hood and your eyes lit up and you told me about skiing in the mountains back out East and how romantic you thought a weekend away in the mountains would be and it just slipped out. I knew then that I wanted to be out here with you." Dean confessed, gently touching her face.

Rachel couldn't help but quietly stare at him in awe; touched by how he had remembered that.

"That was when we first went hiking as a group with Steve and Jenna and Chris and Lindsay; you and I had only been dating for several months then," She reminded him.

"Yeah, but I knew then that I wanted to take a trip alone with you." Dean told her, his emerald eyes staring into hers.

"You really are such a soft romantic at heart," Rachel whispered, leaning in to give him a slow and sweet kiss. "You know the other part I love about renting a chalet in the mountains?"

"What?" Dean mumbled against her lips.

"The good ones have hot tubs outside where you can make out with your sweet and caring boyfriend without a care in the world," Rachel responded, and that was the last sentence uttered between the two in that moment.

*

Rachel lay awake afterwards, curled up in the sheets, as her boyfriend slept fitfully next to her, his arm drawing her into his warm body and his rhythmic breathing about to gently lull her into sleep. She sleepily glanced out at the night sky outside, its thousands of stars clear and bright without the interference of smog and city lights of LA, and thought to herself that if she and Dean could spend every weekend like this together, she could give up L.A. She could give up the excitement and the crowds and the shopping and the glamour and busyness for weekends like these; relaxed and slow paced and real. She glanced over fondly to Dean, who slept in complete peace beside her and snuggled up closer in his arms. Rachel decided that when they returned to LA and they returned to their normal lives and schedules, the photo of them in her office would be one of them in Aspen together- reminding her that the part of Dean that revealed himself to her in Aspen was one that he didn't show everyone, but a part of him that he had promised would belong to her forever.

END


	3. Vignette 3: Phoenix

"It's Not Such a Terrible Life": Vignettes

Vignette 4: Phoenix

Rachel was pleased to find out that Dean is good with kids. Dean's exterior and work persona that most people know completely melted around their young son, Rob. Dean may look like a corporate executive five days of the week with his Brooks Brothers power suits matched with shirts in subtle but classy colours such as light blue and pale grey, and expensive silk ties, but on the weekends, he completely transformed. When she and Dean took Rob to the park and to the beach, the way he romped around in the sand or played in the grass with Rob was so boyish and carefree that it just made Rachel laugh out loud. It was obvious that Dean adored their son and seeing the two of them together just made Rachel so happy that she couldn't help but smile every time she saw them.

Rob is a miniature version of his father, a handsome little brunette with Dean's green eyes and facial features and heart-melting smile. He's extroverted, like both of his parents, and watching him discover the world through the eyes of a child is a journey for Rachel herself. Rachel sees Dean in Rob when she sees how extroverted and assertive he is- he's certainly intelligent like Dean. She also sees herself in Rob as well- he shares his affections with an open heart with her and Dean in the uninhibited and unpolished way only a child can.

This Sunday afternoon, Rachel is sitting on a beach towel, taking a break and relaxing with a book while Rob and Dean are building something in the sand. She hears Dean's deeper voice and Rob's laughter and voice as father and son have their heads bent over their project and she returns back to the page of the classic novel she's reading. A few moments later, she finds Rob standing next to her with an excited expression.

"Come look at what me and Daddy made, Mommy." Rob holds out his tiny hand and Rachel takes it with a smile, letting her son lead her to where the beginnings of a sand castle are.

"Daddy and I," She corrected, before she knelt down in the sand. Dean's dressed in his cargo shorts and a tee shirt, his handsome face lightly bronzed from the sun grinning at her. Their creation is a sand castle of sorts, a jumble of shaped sand and patterns drawn with a stick but it's obvious that Rob is proud of it.

"It looks great, sweetie," Rachel gives a genuine smile and pulls Rob closer in for a kiss on his forehead. She lets him explain all of the different features to her, his tiny hand tugging hers as he shows her the different parts. Over their son's happy chatter, Dean's gaze meets hers and they simply share a smile, with no words needed. When Rob is done, sinking into the sand and admiring his project, Rachel wraps her arms around him and plants another kiss at the top of his head, gently sitting down on the warm sand herself.

"He's going to grow up to be in sales and marketing, like you," She teases and Dean laughs.

"Or he can grow up and do communications, like you. Either way, our son is smart," Dean brags, scooting over to where her and Rob are sitting together. He ruffles his son's hair affectionately and the three of them sit in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the waves and the sounds of a lazy Sunday afternoon mingle together in the warm Californian air.

Rob is their first son, and Rachel found out that she was pregnant about a year after she and Dean had been married. She and Dean had lived together for about two years before they had gotten married and had already enjoyed the young and childless couple lifestyle to be okay with starting a family and the change in pace that having a child was going to bring. They sold their loft and bought a cute and modernized luxurious single-storey home on a quiet street, deciding that they liked Santa Monica enough to stay there and Dean would just commute to L.A. for work.

"Alphabet game!" Rob happily announces, breaking the silence and moving onto the next topic. He has this game where they all take turns and name things in the alphabet, and his patient parents have played it with him every time that the answers are almost automatic. She and Dean like to mix it up every once in a while though, and take that opportunity to teach him new words and vocabulary.

"Why don't we play this one where you can only name things you can see on this beach right now?" Rachel suggests. Rob puckers his lower lip out as he thinks it over, and then nods.

"Asphalt," Rachel starts, pointing to the parking lot in the distance. She sees Rob taking in the new word, following where her finger is pointing and then he nods, ready to play the game.

"Beach ball,"

"Cone,"

And so on and so forth as they walk back to where Rachel's set up the beach towels and umbrella. When they get to "X", they're all stuck but that's all right because she sees that Rob is starting to get tired and it's probably time for him to nap before supper. He crawls into Dean's arms and when he falls asleep, Rachel quietly takes out the digital camera for a photo. She knows that time is going to fly watching him grow up, and before they know it, he'll probably be borrowing Dean's car or applying for college. In this moment, however, she wants to capture the image of him sound asleep, his mouth hanging slightly open and Dean just looking content to hug his son to him.

"Rachel, do you think we want to continue to raise Rob in L.A.?" Dean breaks the silence this time, turning towards her.

"I guess it's all right when he's still in pre-school like he is now, but I grew up in Winston-Salem and you grew up in Sherman Oaks, so we're both more comfortable with smaller towns," Rachel admits. She reaches over to take Dean's hand in hers. "There's some things about LA that I'd rather not expose Rob to though, while he's still a child."

Dean gives a sigh of relief. "Babe, you read my mind. You and I are okay with L.A. as adults but I don't necessarily want Rob growing up in an L.A. setting. He's such a sweet and innocent little guy, you know? I don't want him to grow up to be like one of those spoiled 90210 brats."

"Yes," Rachel agrees. "Dean, I know you love your job though, and I would never ask you to take a job in a smaller town right now if you're not going to be happy. I figured that we can just be very careful about how we raise Rob."

Dean is so good at what he does- there's a reason why he's been able to advance so quickly in his company, and it's simply because Dean is thriving in his field and he loves it. Rachel had worked as a model and while she was good at it, she found that she liked working in a modelling agency more and arranging shows and assisting with them rather than just being a glorified clothes hanger, but she doesn't love her field 24/7 in the way that Dean does. When she found out that she was pregnant with Rob, she and Dean agreed that she would stay home. Since then, Rachel does not have a single regret-while she does miss some of the things from her old life like working with designers and the thrill of arranging fashion shows, she loves raising Rob and watching him grow up in a solid and stable two-parent home environment.

Dean squeezes her hand. "Babe, I love you for saying that, but when I was at work a few days ago, I found out about an opening for a position in Phoenix. I'm interested and I want us to talk about this."

Rachel takes a deep breath. She would never ask Dean to move if he didn't want to, but now that he's bringing it up, she's probably not going to play devil's advocate and convince him to stay in Sandover in L.A. She knows that he tries his hardest to leave his work at work, but Rachel's had to convince him to leave his laptop at bedtime on several occasions, and she knows that it's only going to get worse. Sandover already gets him for fifty hours a week, and when he's home, she wants her husband, not the Sandover star employee.

"It's a move into a totally different division doing market development. It's just going to be a different challenge and not the same thing I was doing for the past five years," Dean continues. "I've been thinking about getting out of the L.A. scene for about a month now."

Rachel is quiet, letting Dean continue. It's important that Dean makes this decision for himself, and she doesn't ever want a situation where Dean thinks he was pressured by her into doing this. She loves him too much to risk that.

"Babe, remember that time last month when I stayed until 8:30 at the office because one of the vice-presidents called at 4:30 and wanted the Midwestern sales team to pull up all the key numbers from different accounts from like 10 different years and I had to oversee the final figures for the next day? I was in that office, thinking that here I am, missing dinner with my beautiful wife and son just because this guy wants to try to boost his executive bonus and there's ten of us slaving away for him because we want our bonus pay as well. I don't want to wake up one day and realize that Rob is going to be seventeen and applying for college and I missed all of it."

Rachel remembers that day. It had been a beautiful spring evening and Rachel had made Dean's favourite chicken and pasta dish and his favourite dessert, and they had planned to take Rob down to the beach afterwards in time to watch the fireworks. Dean had called her at six, told her he wasn't going to be home for a few hours, and Rachel had given Rob his dinner but put theirs in the oven. Dean had come home in a bad mood from "slaving away for this guy who doesn't even know our names", as he put it, and would have skipped dinner entirely had Rachel not persuaded him to eat. That night, Rachel had gone to bed trying not to be angry at the powers-at-be at Sandover who had ruined that evening for them and would probably ruin many others as Dean got promoted higher and higher in the organization. Dean had been apologetic afterwards, but Rachel knew with a heavy feeling in her heart that there wasn't much he could really do if the same thing happened again next time.

She nods. She knows that it isn't easy for Dean to balance a budding career and the demands of a new family when he's always been a bachelor. "I know- neither of us were really our best selves that day. I knew that it wasn't your fault and I felt torn between feeling disappointed at the situation and guilty at my own selfishness because I know that you're supporting the two of us. I knew that you were tired and you didn't want us to our cancel our plans either."

"Still, babe, you had every right to be disappointed and I've known guys at the office who've let work ruin their marriages." Dean looks down at Rob, who's napping peacefully. "They've never preached work-life balance at Sandover, and when I was a bachelor, I wouldn't have cared, but I've seen guys talk about how they're getting a divorce because their families can't take all the long hours that they work anymore. When you and I got married, Rachel, I know I promised you that this wouldn't come between us, especially after Chicago. I don't want to be across from you at the divorce lawyer's table five years from now talking about who gets custody of Rob and how we're going to divide our assets because the situation has gotten so out of control."

Rachel squeezes his hand. She doesn't say anything in this moment because she senses that Dean's not done.

"Rachel, a week ago, the vice president of our business line approached me at the end of a meeting and complimented me on how well I was doing. He mentioned that he's looking for someone to work in his office directly for him in a couple of months' time and asked me if I would think about it. Rachel, I know people in that office, and if we're beginning to have problems because of the hours I spend at work now, we're going to be headed for a divorce before Rob finishes elementary school. I don't want to be that guy, Rachel. My uncle was, and he died as a miserable divorcee who spent his time drinking."

"Dean, I want to be honest because I love you," Rachel starts, "I want you to love what you do and I want you to be successful and happy and all of that, but I've also realized that I want you to fight for us and I want you to stand up to your bosses when your work is starting to take over your life and our life, and I'm afraid it's going to be harder and harder to do that the more and more you get promoted."

She feels horrible now, because she knows how much Dean's career matters to him. She looks at the ocean in front of them for a moment, trying to focus her thoughts, but doesn't come up with anything better. "I'm sorry, babe, but I can't help but feel that it's true. Baby, I know you're great with Rob and I knew you'd be a great father, but I can't help but think that something's going to have to give, and I don't want it to be me and Rob."

Dean's silent for a few moments, and Rachel can see he's letting the thought sink in. He knows that she won't put up with this balance game of Sandover vs. their relationship forever, and now that they have a son, there's even more at stake.

"I think this job in Phoenix might be my exit out of this LA life for good." Dean says slowly, "I'm at a crossroads in my career where I can keep climbing the corporate ladder at Sandover if I end up taking this job in the VP's office or I stay on in my current job, and we're going to have to keep playing this balance game as Rob grows up, or I can interview for this job in Phoenix and we can get away from all of this. I'm excited about that job too, it's going to be working with some of their new technology and trying to help them find a way to commercialize and market it. It's not the L.A. office and the hours are really a lot more stable because I don't have the huge portfolios and people to manage that I do right now."

Rachel hears the excitement in his voice and sees his eyes light up and she can't help but be happy for him. She's confident that if Dean really wants this job he'll be likely to get it, given all of his experience at Sandover as well as his talent.

"Baby, I want you to go for it," She tells him, squeezing his hand and looking up into his eyes. His emerald eyes are searching hers, as if to ask if she's okay, but she is, because she already hears how eager he is for another challenge, and if it allows them to spend more time together, she's certainly supportive of it. "I think it sounds like something you would enjoy and if it doesn't break us up, I want you to go for it."

Dean flashes her a brilliant smile and she can just see him beaming. He leans over to fondly kiss her cheek.

"Babe, you are generous and supportive, in addition to being beautiful and lovely." He says softly.

Rob is stirring in Dean's arms, and then his emerald eyes open and take in the surroundings around him and looks up at both of his parents.

"Can we go home now?" He asks simply, and Dean's arms tighten around his son unconsciously.

"Yeah, buddy, we can," Dean replies and he ruffles Rob's hair affectionately. A few minutes later, the three of them are walking back to where they've parked the car and Dean is holding Rob's tiny hand in his and Rachel can't help but think that even though she's going to miss L.A., her home of the past seven years, dry and sunny Phoenix is going to be nice.

*

Rachel and Dean are walking hand-in-hand through the Sky Harbour International Airport, having flown in from L.A. earlier that morning. Dean has a few hours before he goes in to meet with the division manager, so their pace is relaxed and normal. This is the third face to face meeting they've had now and Dean's transfer to Phoenix is mainly complete.

Rachel glances over and is reminded again of how much she loves how handsome Dean looks when he's dressed for work- his well made charcoal grey dress pants matched with his light grey shirt and white silk tie are immaculate, and their crisp look just highlights his handsome features and emerald green eyes. She's not dressed as formally, but she has a pretty black short sleeved shirt on over a white skirt and her silky red hair is just down even though the ends are lightly curled. Dean's going to be meeting with his new division manager again in these couple of days and a few of the engineers on his new project team. Rachel's going to spend the afternoon with the realtor they've been working with to look at neighbourhoods where they can settle in, and then they'll be going out with some of Dean's old friends from Stanford for dinner tonight.

They had just called Dean's parents in Sherman Oaks because Rob is staying with his grandparents for the couple of days that Rachel and Dean are in Phoenix. Rob had chattered on the phone this morning about how Grandpa and Grandma were going to take him to the farmers' market, and they had both been relieved to hear that Rob wasn't feeling separation anxiety. Dean's parents, like her own, absolutely adored Rob and begged for the opportunity to babysit, and with them living only in Sherman Oaks, it wasn't that far of a drive from Santa Monica to have Rob stay with them for a few days. Besides, it'll also be nice to just have the alone time with Dean.

When Rachel's dropped Dean off for his meeting, and she's driving over to the realtor's office, she lets the windows down to let the warm and dry desert air in. As she's glancing out over the South Mountains and the Phoenix Mountains throughout her drive, Rachel feels like she can get used to living in this warm and mild metropolitan city with a downtown core and feel that will remind her of L.A, but also with quiet neighbourhoods and parks where Rob can grow up with more space and freedom.

Later on, when Dean's meetings are over, and they're having dinner with Dean's old friends from Stanford on their backyard patio, overlooking the city of Phoenix from where they are in the North Mountains neighbourhood, Rachel can totally envision herself living here. They're all sitting around the patio table, relaxed and enjoying the slow drawn out evening and watching the sunset over the desert hills while they finish their supper of barbequed ribs and roasted potato salad washed down with a beer from a local brewery. Dean's hand is holding hers under the table and he gives her hand a quick squeeze while continuing to carry on their conversation. He seems relaxed and happy, and Rachel can tell in the way his body language and tone is so much more loose and carefree than it is when he's in L.A.

When they're walking back out to the car to drive back to the hotel, hand in hand, Dean stops and points to where the red sunset has illuminated the desert hills and when he muses,

"I've lived in L.A. for the past ten years of my life, but I could get used to seeing this every day,"

Rachel smiles up at him and nods in agreement.

"I could too."

She draws him closer and plants a kiss on his lips, making it sweet and slow, letting him know how much she loves him and supports him. Dean grins into their kiss and brings her closer to him by gently grabbing her hips, and they exchange a smile before breaking apart. Rachel admires the beauty of the desert hills, illuminated crimson and red in the dying evening light as Dean drives down into Phoenix proper, thinking that she can't wait to start the next stage in their lives here.

*

She, Dean, and Rob are having a picnic in the park overlooking the desert hills on a Sunday afternoon, sitting on a blanket near a shady tree. Rachel's always been a good cook and this time, to celebrate their first picnic after the move to Phoenix she's cooked and assembled quite the meal- there's a pasta salad, veggie sticks, ham and cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for Rob, salmon and cream cheese pinwheel sandwiches and several different types of cheeses and pate spreads with snack crackers for her and Dean, devilled eggs, fruit, and an upside down pineapple pound cake for dessert.

"Thanks for preparing all this amazing food, babe," Dean says, putting another pinwheel sandwich in his mouth. He looks relaxed and happy, dressed in his light cargo pants and a tee-shirt; his muscular arms and handsome face bronzed by the desert sun. Rachel likes to see him enjoy something that she's made, so she simply gives him a smile and pecks him on the cheek.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it,"

"Daddy, Mommy, I love this park," Rob is telling them excitedly.

"Yeah, I do too, buddy," Dean smiles and he starts pointing out different landmarks in Phoenix to Rob. "How do you like Phoenix, buddy?"

"I love it!" Rob nods enthusiastically and starts to tell Dean about some of the things they've been doing in pre-school, and Rachel just smiles when she watches them together. Dean's job in Phoenix is a lot less stressful and he only has to work 40 hours a week, instead of the 50-60 hour weeks he was putting in when they were in L.A. He's told her that he likes the challenge and working with the engineers and scientists, and the office in Phoenix is a lot more laid back than the one in L.A. They've had the time to do things together in the evening like play tennis, go for walks, and take Rob swimming at the pool. Rob's also started pre-school and they've settled into a routine. Four out of five days a week Rob goes to pre-school, Rachel goes to the pool or to the gym for pilates and yoga, and then she gets to spend time with him in the afternoons, and when Dean comes home they go to the park or to the pool. Each week, they drop Rob off at a friend's for a play date so Rachel and Dean can go on their own dates. Dean takes her out for dinner and they go see a movie, or a play, or a sports game, and it's nice to be able to spend more time alone with him. They didn't go on dates regularly after they were married back in LA and Rachel likes to be able to keep building her relationship with Dean, and she thinks that her relationship with Dean has only gotten stronger.

"Can we go to the water park later, Daddy?" Rob's voice snaps Rachel out of her reverie.

"Have you finished all your vegetables and everything else your Momma says you need to finish?" Dean asks.

"I _always_ finish all my vegetables and listen to Momma, Daddy." Rob points out, and it's true. Rob is a really good kid and she and Dean have been so lucky to have him. Dean smiles and scoops Rob up in his arms.

"That's my boy." He gives Rob an affectionate kiss on the top of his head. His emerald eyes meet Rachel's over Rob, and his gaze slightly caresses her and Rachel feels it even though Dean doesn't need to say anything.

Rachel loves this new chapter in her life- trading their lifestyle in LA and their home in Santa Monica for this new home in Phoenix overlooking the mountains and desert in Paradise Valley, with their patio in the backyard where they could watch the sun set over the Sonoran desert and enjoy the simple joys of living. As Rob happily settles down between her and Dean, Rachel knows that she's got her own family and everything she wants and needs, sharing this moment with her, enjoying the desert air, temperate climate, and the own warmth that fills her entire being.

END

_Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews so far! This is the one where I introduce Rachel and Dean's son, Rob, and I think that their little AU family is very adorable. I hope to be able to write more Rachel/Dean/Rob stories in the future and I hope you enjoy it too!_


	4. Vignette 3A: Even the Sun Goes Down

"It's Not Such a Terrible Life": Vignettes

Vignette 3A: Even the Sun Goes Down...

Rachel reads to Rob every night. She believes strongly that reading to children is a way to help develop reading skills and develop a love for reading. His mother-in-law, Stella, was a teacher and Dean can see where Rachel gets a lot of her ideas for early childhood education and development. Dean takes turns reading to Rob as well, and they try to both be able to read to Rob together and spend time with him before he goes to bed. When Dean is busy with work, Rachel takes over the bedtime reading duties.

Rachel reads all kinds of different things to Rob- including stories about trains and cars that talk with each other and teach about open communication and friendship; stories about different animals that live in a community together that teach co-operation like Mr. Bear helps Mr. Beaver build a dam; the ones about human families and friendships; she even reads science and history books for kids to Rob that explain phenomenon like the weather. Rob is usually attentive and likes to follow along when he and Rachel read to him, but Rob also likes to ask questions and the discussions can often easily get sidetracked while Rachel is trying to read to him.

Dean can hear the sounds of his wife and his son from his study down the hall, and he's got the Excel spreadsheets and graphs open on his laptop, trying to concentrate on sales figures and revenues from the Pacific region, but he doesn't want to be in work mode anymore. He's been preparing for the end of the fiscal year for a few weeks now and he's tired of working twelve hour days where he barely spends meals with his family and when he gets to bed he's too tired to make love to Rachel. Through the open door, he hears Rachel reading a story to Rob where the Dad in the story is planning an outing for his kids.

"Mommy, why doesn't Daddy come and read to me anymore?" He hears the questioning voice of his son and Dean feels a stab of guilt. He can imagine the way they're sitting now- Rob in his pyjama pants and t-shirt sitting up in bed with the covers up around him leaning against Rachel, and Rachel with her arm around Rob as she holds the book in both hands so that Rob can follow along. "I didn't see him for the past three days and I want Daddy."

"Well, Rob, Daddy came and read to you a few nights ago," He hears Rachel's soothing voice and he imagines her rubbing Rob's shoulder. "Don't you remember?"

"Daddy read so quickly and didn't even do all the voices," He hears Rob complain. He remembers that night- he could hear his Blackberry buzzing with email messages in his pocket and he had had to rush back to his study to finish reviewing the sales reports from the Midwest sales division after reading to Rob, so he had sped through the story and tucked his son with an absentminded kiss on the forehead.

"Oh, Rob," He hears Rachel say. He can imagine that she's ruffling his hair and giving him a kiss on the top of his head, "Your Daddy's been having a tough week and he's had a lot on his mind. Remember how in yesterday's story Joey was having a bad week and his friend Sally came to cheer him up? Well, Daddy's having a really tough week too and he needs both of us to cheer him up."

He doesn't hear Rob's response but he doesn't need to. Dean quickly saves the file he's working on and sits quietly for a moment. He doesn't deserve Rachel- he really doesn't. She married him knowing the kind of hectic career he had and she still remains so understanding.

He remembers Mr. Penbroke's offer of transferring to Phoenix and working with the research and development team and for the fifth time this week, he can't help but wonder that it's worth exploring. The Phoenix office is notably much more laid-back than the L.A. office and Mr. Penbroke was unlike most other divisional managers at Sandover- the guy actually had a life outside of work and seemed to formulate a really cooperative and democratic working team down in Phoenix. Dean's always worked in the L.A. office and has been able to withstand the pressure and competition, but when he hears the innocent and questioning tone of his son, he can't help but think that his family's happiness should be his real priority. He and Rachel have talked about work life balance issues in the past and Dean knows that he could really be doing much better.

With that thought, he closes the laptop for the night. He'll still be able to review those figures in time for the meeting tomorrow and he's got his entire family just down that hall. He makes his way down the hall, and finds Rob and Rachel reading in Rob's room, just as he envisioned in mind. Rob is wearing his black t-shirt and his favourite Spiderman pyjama pants, curled up into Rachel and enjoying the book she's reading to him, and Rachel is also attired in sleepwear, in a pretty lilac camisole with white shorts. Rob looks up first and his emerald eyes widen with the surprise and wholehearted innocence of a child.

"Daddy!" He says excitedly and Rachel looks up, a smile on her face for him.

"Hi buddy," Dean says, making his way to sit on the other side of Rob's bed, ruffling his son's hair and planting a quick kiss at the top of his head. "Miss me?"

"Yeah! Please come read to me," Rob requests, his little hand holding onto his father's and Dean's heart melts at the gesture. _This_ is real- Rob and Rachel, not the dollars and numbers he has to juggle every day and not the artificial socializing that takes place at work. The eagerness on his son's face, the quiet relief on Rachel's, the warm little hand that holds onto his arm, and the emerald eyes of his son gazing up at him with anticipation on his face- this is real.

"Ok," Dean agrees, and he and Rachel proceed to take turns reading alternate pages to Rob and doing the female and male voices. Rob is happily nestled between the two of them, and Rachel's arm is brushing against his own on the other side of Rob. When they finish the story, Rob sighs with content.

"That was a good story," He comments. "Can we read about lions and tigers tomorrow?"

"We sure can," Rachel replies, and fondly gives Rob a kiss on his forehead. "Right now, it's time for you to go to bed though,"

The smile that Rob gives both of them is priceless as he scoots down into bed and lets Dean pull the covers over him. The soft light of Rob's room illuminates his young son's handsome face and Dean brushes his lips over Rob's forehead.

"Goodnight, Rob." He says softly.

"I hope you have a good week, Daddy," Rob murmurs sincerely, his eyes half-closed with sleep. "Mama says you've been having a diff-difficult week. I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, buddy," Dean whispers softly just for his son to hear and then Rachel smoothes Rob's hair a bit before bidding him goodnight. They quietly get up and turn the lights off in Rob's room, and Rachel's hand finds his as they're walking towards their own room.

*

They're in bed and Rachel is snuggled up against him when he raises the issue.

"Rachel, I've been thinking more and more about this job in Phoenix." He muses. "This end of fiscal year is driving me crazy and I don't think I can handle this for the rest of my career."

He's been tapped as one of the best and the brightest at Sandover and it was predicted that he would make vice-president in the next five years, but as Dean sees far away the lights of the valley of Los Angeles from their bedroom in Santa Monica, he also sees the bleak and emptiness of what the future can hold in a life dominated by his career and work. He unknowingly tightens his grasp around Rachel and despite the darkness he tries to focus on her lying in his arms.

"I think this is the third time you've mentioned it to me this week," She murmurs half-sleepily. "Dean, I know that you are stressed out because of fiscal year end, but is Phoenix just an excuse or are you really considering it?"

Ever since last week at the beach he had brought up Phoenix, Rachel's been surprisingly good about not pushing him on this issue. She listens whenever he brings it up and she tells him what she thinks, but she doesn't exert pressure on him to make a career move.

"I am seriously considering it- when I was in my study tonight I could hear Rob asking for me. I only really spend time by reading to him on the weekdays and playing with him on the weekends and I didn't even really spend that much time with him in these past few weeks. He loves and forgives me now, but I don't want to grow up to be a stranger to him and when he grows up he might not be as accepting and forgiving then."

When Rachel hears the soft hurt and vulnerability in his voice, she moves closer to him and gives him a kiss, one that's sweet and slow and has him slightly moaning because he's missed her in the past week.

"He's a child, Dean," She says softly. "He says whatever is on his mind and if he notices a pattern of you being absent, he's just making an observation. You're his father- of course he loves you and he knows that you love him very much."

"Babe, I know that this is hard on you too- when we were dating you and I were able to agree to keep our schedules flexible but now we're married and things are different especially now that we have a son."

"Rob loves you very much, Dean, and he looks up to you," Rachel murmurs. "He misses you when you're too busy to spend time with him."

She's silent for a moment before she whispers in an even softer voice,

"I miss you too."

That slight admission in her voice makes Dean love her even more and it makes him feel a million times worse. He brings her even closer to him and kisses the top of her head. He hates making promises that he can't keep, so he doesn't say anything for now, simply holding her in his arms before he feels her drifting off to sleep and before he drifts off himself, warmed by her closeness, he promises to himself that he's going to be a better husband to her.

*

The next day Dean is at work in his enclosed office, the door closed because this is a phone call that he doesn't necessarily want overheard. He's got his Bluetooth plugged in and attached to his ear and he dials Mr. Penbroke's number out of his contacts.

"Mr. Penbroke, it's Dean Smith calling," He greets him. "Listen, I want to know a bit more about this job in Phoenix and I was wondering if we could chat."

He settles into his comfortable leather office chair a bit more, and as he looks out of his 9th floor window in L.A., across the San Fernando valley, and as Mr. Penbroke tells him about the position that's open for him, Dean imagines that he can see sunny Arizona off in the distance.

*

END

_Author's Notes: I felt that I wanted to write a little piece in between L.A. and Phoenix and to explore some of the back story taking place, and especially to show how much Dean loves his son and wants to be in his life._


End file.
